Safety
Asiana 777 Approached SFO Too Slowly
The burned hull of an Asiana Boeing 777-200ER beside Runway 28L at San Francisco International Airport last July. (Photo: NTSB)
The burned hull of an Asiana Boeing 777-200ER beside Runway 28L at San Francisco International Airport last July. (Photo: NTSB)

The Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER that crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Saturday had approached the runway at a speed “significantly below” the 137 knots targeted by the crew, according to preliminary data authorities have extracted from the airplane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders. While briefing reporters Sunday in San Francisco, National Transportation Safety Board chairman Deborah Hersman also noted that during approach, the airplane’s idled Pratt & Whitney PW4090 turbofans appeared to respond normally to throttle command a few seconds before impact.